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Cost of Living in a Van in the UK (2026): Monthly Budget

Last updated: 27 October 2026 · Kervana team

Short answer

For two people living full time in a van or motorhome in the UK, a realistic 2026 budget is about £1,150–1,600 a month, including the vehicle's running costs. Without those running costs, the day-to-day spending (fuel, overnight stays, food, gas, phone) comes to roughly £1,000–1,450.

Two things decide where you land: how many nights you pay for a campsite and how far you drive. A campsite every night costs about £800 a month on its own; moving often and using free stopovers swaps that for a bigger fuel bill.

These budgets don't include buying the van, depreciation, eating out, health costs or anything you still pay for at home.

Three monthly budgets for two people

Monthly costMostly free stopoversMixCampsite every night
Miles driven1,200800400
Fuel (28 mpg, 199p/L diesel)£389£259£130
Paid nights4 × £30 + Brit Stops15 × £3030 × £28
Overnight stays£123£453£840
Food and drink (at home prices)£380£380£380
Gas (cooking, heating)£40£40£30
Phones and mobile data£40£40£40
Gym (showers) and laundry£60£20£15
Running costs (insurance, tax, MOT, servicing…)£141£141£141
Total£1,173£1,333£1,576

The running costs line is the yearly ownership bill without storage, spread over 12 months: see motorhome running costs in the UK for the breakdown.

Overnight stays

This is the line that moves most.

  • Campsites with electric hook-up: typically £30–45 a night in 2026; small members-only sites (Certificated Locations with five pitches) often charge £23–25 including electricity. Weekly and off-season rates bring the average down, which is why the "every night" budget uses £28.
  • Basic pitches without electricity: around £15–30 a night.
  • Brit Stops: an annual membership (about £33–44 a year) gives one-night stays at pubs, farm shops and vineyards, usually free if you buy something from the host. Your van must be self-contained.
  • Free overnight parking: possible in places, but rules vary by council and landowner. Check signs and local rules; don't count on it every night.

Fuel

At the October 2026 UK diesel average (199.33p a litre), a van doing 28 mpg costs about 32p a mile. 1,000 miles a month is about £324. Your own mpg changes this a lot: see campervan fuel cost per mile for the formula and a table by mpg.

Food

The average UK household spends about £74 a week on food and non-alcoholic drinks (ONS, April 2024 to March 2025); a 2026 estimate based on ONS data and inflation puts it nearer £102 a week. That is roughly £320–440 a month for a household; the budgets above use £380 for two people cooking in the van. A small fridge and limited storage tend to mean more frequent, smaller shops, which can push this up.

Gas, water and electricity

  • Gas: a refill of a 13 kg Calor Patio bottle cost about £52.50 in spring 2026 (plus cylinder hire the first time). How long a bottle lasts depends on the season: with the heating on in winter it goes much faster than in summer. We use £30–40 a month.
  • Water and waste: free at most campsites and many service points.
  • Electricity: included with an electric hook-up; off-grid you rely on solar and the vehicle's batteries.

Phone and internet

Unlimited-data SIM-only plans cost about £14–25 a month per phone in 2026. Many van dwellers add a data-only SIM in a router; deals from about £7 a month exist. The budgets use £40 for two people.

Showers and laundry

Campsites usually include showers. If you mostly use free stopovers, a budget gym membership (about £18–29 a month in 2026) doubles as a daily shower. Launderettes and campsite machines add a little each week.

Before you go full time

  • An address: insurance, banking, the V5C and your driving licence all need a postal address.
  • Insurance that allows living in the vehicle: standard leisure policies may not cover full-time use; ask before you buy.
  • Winter: heating, condensation and fewer open sites make winter the most expensive season.

Track your own month

  1. Plan a trip in the trip cost calculator: miles, mpg, fuel price, nights on campsites and food.
  2. Log what you spend as you go, by category (fuel, campsites, food, gas). Kervana shows your monthly total, warns you before a category goes over its limit and shows the cost of each trip per day and per mile.

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Sources

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